Job Summary
Announcing an Exciting Career Opportunity!
The County of San Diego is currently accepting applications for the position of:
Land Use/Environmental Planner III - Watershed
Interviews will take place beginning the week of January 13, 2025
***This hard to recruit position qualifies for the Employee Referral Reward Program. If a current County of San Diego employee referred you to apply for this position, please indicate the employee’s name on your job application in the space provided. ***
Are you looking for an exciting and rewarding career or advancement opportunity? The County is seeking qualified individuals that can bring innovative ideas and strong work ethics to support continual advancements within the Watershed Protection Program in the Department of Public Works (DPW).
THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Public Works (DPW) consists of four divisions and is responsible for: County-maintained roads; traffic engineering; land development civil engineering review; design engineering and construction management; land surveying and map processing; cartographic services; watershed quality and flood protection; County Airports; solid waste planning and diversion; inactive landfills; wastewater systems management; and special districts.
DPW's mission is to preserve, enhance and promote quality of life and public safety through the responsible development of reliable and sustainable infrastructure and services.
The current vacancy is located in the Department of Public Works – Watershed Protection Program. For additional information on DPW, please click
here.
The Land Use/Environmental Planner III performs the most complex, difficult, and sensitive environmental and planning projects. Land Use/Environmental Planner III's in the Watershed Protection Program are responsible for conducting field assessments of the most complex public and private facilities to determine compliance with stormwater regulations; responding to high sensitivity complaints regarding stormwater pollution; providing outreach and education on stormwater pollution prevention and water quality objectives; serving in a lead capacity on stormwater projects, programs, grants, and contract activities; preparing various reports and documents; performing professional environmental and planning studies, research, and data analysis to develop goals and policy recommendations. Incumbents in this job class may also supervise subordinate staff and oversee their work on field assessments, complaints, and other duties.
This position will be unique in that it will be responsible for working on a variety of planning and analysis tasks related to the Watershed Protection Program. The Watershed Protection Program is a division of the Department of Public Works that is responsible for ensuring the County’s compliance with Stormwater regulations. The division is made up of 4 groups: the Science & Monitoring Group, the Structural Projects & Development Group, the Community Engagement Group, and the Planning & Pollution Prevention Group.
IDEAL CANIDATE PROFILE
The ideal candidate is a self-motivated professional with the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, high-profile environment, communicates effectively verbally and in writing, holds self and others accountable, solves problems and innovates, leverages resources, coaches and develops others, facilitates teamwork and collaboration, demonstrates ethical behavior, is supportive of change, and has technical expertise in the field of watershed planning and/or wetland conservation and restoration and/or floodplain management.
HIRING PROCESS AND TIMELINE:- Job Offer and Background Process begins after interviews. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
- Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
- Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.
If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS- A bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency, in Biology, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, or a related science field AND at least three (3) years of professional level experience in the field of watershed planning and/or wetland conservation and restoration. Experience must be at the level equivalent to a Land Use/Environmental Planner II within the County of San Diego; OR
- A master's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency, in Biology, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, or a related science field, AND two (2) years of professional level experience as described above; OR
- One (1) year of experience as a Land Use/Environmental Planner II with the County of San Diego.
NOTE: Professional level land use/environmental planning experience in a public or private agency may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis, for up to two (2) years of the education requirement.
The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, hides a candidate’s personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process helps contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENTAs part of the County of San Diego’s pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
EVALUATION
Qualified applicants will be placed on asix (6) month employment list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental application questionnaire. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate, as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process, your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.
As an employer of over 19,000 employees, the County of San Diego is an organization committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization. Click on the resource links below to learn more about how the County of San Diego supports its veterans.
Veteran’s Preference PolicyThe County of San Diego offers preferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego.Military Skills TranslatorDo you need assistance translating your military experience into civilian experience? This tool can help!The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of: a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include: integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of which are infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our Strategic Plan (sandiegocounty.gov) as well as our commitment to serve everyone, to build a Framework for the Future that will create a County that works for all.
Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.
The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset and our customers are our number one priority.
